Tragedy
by SweetestReject
Summary: This fic deals with the serious issue of gun violence and school shootings.
1. Home with the Flu

_Tragedy_

_**Rating:** R for mass violence, strong language, Jesse and Suze fluff, and anything else that may make this story worthy of an "R" rating._

_**Summary:** Suze is home sick (for real this time, the flu is a nasty thing...) and Jesse comes to her with bad news regarding her school, a case of unrequited love, and new ghosts to mediate._

_**One-Shot or Chapter?:** Ah, yes, the enternal queston...for now, this is a one shot. YES, I still have Satan's Betrothed, The Secret Lives Of The Mediator Charactors, Rob's Eyes, and One And The Same to finish. However, I wanted to write this before I forgot..._

_**For the Jesse Club or the Paul Club?:** Jesse, all the way, baby!_

_So here we go..._

**Suze's POV:**

I'm dying. I knew it. The ghosts won't off me- it's going to be the flu. At least, that's how I feel. I'm boiling underneith all of these blankets, trying to sweat out my fevor like I have been all day yesterday, last night, and today, but if I take off one blanket, I'll be freezing.

Of course, Jesse could always warm me up...Kind of like he was last night, between helping me in and out of my bed and into the bathroom to throw up. He'd lay there on top of the blankets with me while I settle back in, and attempt to drift off into dreamland. It was very nice.

Not that I really slept. The flu doesn't let you sleep. Damn that shortage of the vaccine.

Around noon, I started to feel better. I flipped through the channels on my tv, not paying attention to anything that passed in front of my eyes.

"Susannah?"

I looked up. In my window was Jesse, looking radiant- literally.

"Hey Jesse." I said, somewhat weakly, but adding a small smile to it.

"How are you feeling, Susannah?" Jesse asked. His dark eyes held a little sadness in them, like he knew something horrible had happened and he didn't want to spill.

"Better. A little anyway." I said, struggling to sit up beneath the millions of blankets Mom and Andy had piled on me.

"Susannah, lie down." Jesse came over and made me lie down. "I'm afraid I have to tell you something. You won't like it-"

"SUZE!! OH MY GOD, SUZE! PLEASE PLEASE BE AWAKE!!!" I heard yelling coming up the steps, in tune with footsteps flying up the steps, and then a minute later, CeeCee and Adam materialized through my door.

Yes, _materialized._

I stared at them, eyes wide open in shock and sadness. My two best friends (on this end of the country, at least) were...No, they can't be...

But they were.

They were dead.

Jesse looked pained, and held my hand. I barely had time to register that CeeCee and Adam were glowing before more people started showing up.

First, Paul- glowing.

Followed by Kelly Prescott and Debbie Mancuso- both also glowing.

I sat in my bed, mouth open in shock. I pulled on Jesse's hand and said, "You see them all too, right? This isn't a hallucination? From the fever?"

Jesse shook his head sadly. "No, I'm afraid not, Susannah. They've all become victims of murder."

"Murder?! No one murders Kelly Prescott and gets away with it!" I heard Kelly shriek. Her french-tipped fingers flipped through her hair as she fumed. Seconds later, her expression softened. "Murdered? You mean, we all...We all died?"

I nodded. "Anyone know how this happened?"

At first, no one spoke. I looked around at everyone- the worried violet eyes of my best friend, still fixated on Adam, Paul's icy blues fixated on me. "Let's just say, Suze, it's a good thing you didn't come to school today. Saved you from this fate." Paul said hesistantly.

Debbie and Kelly had taken to sitting on my day bed, both in shock that they were dead. In their minds, this was probably never taken into consideration, and who can blame them? Most people don't wake up in the morning, thinking, "What am I going to do after I die today?"

I do, sometimes. It comes with the territory, you know.

So Debbie and Kelly were no help. Adam was basically silent- a change for him, actually- and CeeCee looked like she wanted to cry.

"All I remember, Suze, is that it hurt. A hell of a lot." Adam finally said, in a very quiet tone.

Cee nodded. "I felt like I couldn't breathe, when he fired the bullet. It hurt so bad..."

"Bullet?" I asked. She nodded. Then I couldn't breathe.

"Jesse...Bullet?" I asked.

"Susannah..." Jesse started. "I tried to protect them. Or, those four, at least." He gestured to Cee, Adam, Kelly and Debbie. Paul looked a bit put out. "But the bullets went straight through me. There was nothing I could do."

I fell back in disbelief. My school, my safe Junippero Mission Academy, had become the setting of a school shooting. Never in a million nightmares would anyone ever believe it...

If it hadn't been so damned true.

Because moments later, the boy responsible for it all appeared.

"You the mediator?" He asked me bluntly, ignoring the fact that his victims were all around him. He was dressed all in black, with a ski mask over his face.

Suddenly, Debbie lept off of my day bed and tackled the kid. "YOU FREAK! IS THAT ANYWAY TO TREAT YOUR VICTIMS?! I SWEAR IF YOU WEREN'T GLOWING LIKE THE REST OF US, I'D KILL YOU!!!" She screamed as her perfectly manicured hands pummeled him.

For a minute, we all watched as Debbie beat him up. Then Jesse and Paul seemed to think this wasn't appropriate and tried to break it up. Only Debbie's nails came flying up to hit them, so they backed off.

"Well, I guess I'll start talking to everyone one-on-one, see why you're all still here." I said, pulling up a blanket. "Cee, wanna go first? I have a pretty good idea about you."

Cee nodded, and joined me on my bed. We spoke quietly as everyone stuck to their own things, Debbie still beating up their murderer.

"So, Cee, first do you believe me about my mediator abilities?" I asked with a small grin.

CeeCee giggled a little at that. "Yeah, Simon, I guess I don't have much of a choice." She sighed. "Although, if this is the afterlife..."

"It's not, don't worry." I said. "But I think you're still here because you never came clean to Adam about your feelings to him." I dropped my voice to a whispher here, should Adam be listening.

He didn't appear to be, however. He looked like- everyone did, actually, and I saw Paul and Jesse had broken up the fight. Maybe they explained why everyone was here?

CeeCee locked her violet eyes on Adam. "I guess I don't have anything left to lose, right?" She said, not looking at me, nor talking to me. She was lost in thought.

"Cee, I'm going to mediate Adam for a moment, then I'll let you two alone, OK?" She nodded, and I hugged my best friend one last time.

"Adam, you're up."

I saw him sigh as he got up and settled in next to me. "Suze, I think I know why I'm here. I kinda understand this mediator stuff, from hearing you and Cee talk in what you think is 'code' so let me give it a shot."

I nodded and grinned. "Why do you think you're here?"

"I'm in love with someone. I never told her." Adam said in dead seriousness. Before he continued, I prayed it wasn't me. "Suze, I'm in love with CeeCee." he whispered.

I hugged Adam tightly and whisphered back, "Go tell her."

I watched Adam and CeeCee start talking together, heads bent down on the floor. Adam said those three little words, and CeeCee responded the way I figured she always would: Pulled Adam's head into her's and kissed him. Adam moved on top of Cee as their arms circled each other, and before we could view anything more, they were both gone in a bath of bright white lights.

I choked back tears and said, "Who's next?"

"Susannah, you need to rest. Slater and I can handle these three." Jesse said, standing next to me as I laid in bed.

"Jesse, it's my job." I protested as Kelly, Debbie, and the mysterious murderer were directed to my bed by Paul.

"Suze, how is it you can see us, anyways? Are you dead, too?" Debbie asked. Kelly was still silent, probably in shock of being dead.

"No, I'm not dead. I'm a mediator." I explained.

"A what-iator?"

I laughed. "A liason between the living and the dead. I can see, hear, speak to, and hit the dead."

"And sometimes she even makes out with them." Paul said, waggling his eyebrows at Jesse and I. So what if Jesse was sitting behind me, and I was basically in his lap? With this damn flu, I could very well be glowing like him any day now.

"Hey Suze, now that I'm dead, do I have a better chance at getting with you?" Paul asked, leaning back on my desk chair.

"No, Paul."

"Damn. Well, what if-"

"No."

"But-"

"NO!"

"Fine, fine." Paul sat back grumpily.

"So, Debbie, let's start with you." I said, sighing. "Is there anything you didn't do before you died?"

Debbie thought for a moment. "Well, there was this really cute skirt- red plaid, _so_ catholic school girl- at the mall the other day, and I didn't buy it because Daddy's been getting on my case about s pending so much on what he calls 'frivolous junk' when in reality, it's so not! I mean, a girl can't help but have sixteen pairs of Jimmy Choos, or twelve Kate Spade bags. And I mean-"

"Debbie, I didn't mean shopping wise." I said, raising my hand to silence her. Or maybe that skirt she didn't buy is what was holding her back.

Highly doubtful, but maybe.

"Well, I didn't tell someone that he was a father." Debbie said. WHOA!

"A father?!" I cried- well, as much as I could. I was going horse a bit. "Debbie, you're pregnant?" She was only 17!

She laughed. "God, no. I was, about a year ago, when I took time off school and told everyone it was because we'd moved and then moved back."

"That's what it was?!" Kelly shrieked. Her first words since she'd realized she was dead. "I can't believe you didn't tell me, your own best friend!"

"You'd have called me a whore, like Heather did!"

"Let's not fight for now." I said hastily. "Debbie, who's the father? I can pass it along or something."

"Um..." Debbie hung her head, staring at her feet as she curled up. "I kind of don't want to say."

"Why not?"

"Look, Suze, are you absolutely sure you're the only one whocan hear us?"Debbie asked, looking pained.

"Yes, I'm sure." I nodded solemnly.

"Querida, what about your brother?" Jesse asked. Dopey- Er, Brad- could hear.

"He's not home. School's on lockdown, I bet." I said. "Go on, Debbie. Who is it?"

"Brad." She mumbled.

I don't blame Debbie's news at all on my vomiting. I had the flu, remember? I was bound to throw up again. And at least it all made it into the toilet.

When I came out of the bathroom, I said, "I'm an aunt?"

"Yes." Debbie said, grinning now. "Her name's Madeline Rose. She's the sweetest, cutest, most well-behaved baby on the planet."

I believed it.

"Debbie, other than Brad not knowing he's the father, do you think that there is any other reason?" I asked, hugging my (almost) sister-in-law.

"My parents hated the fact that I kept her." Debbie said quietly. "I think I may be around because I want to know what's going to happen to my baby. I don't want my parents to raise her, because she'll end up like me. Believe it or not, that's not a good thing." She giggled lightly. "But I don't want her to be raised by strangers."

Paul- who'dbeen silent- and Kelly- who'd been in more shock- both spoke at the same time. "She won't be."

They looked at each other. Paul said, "Go ahead, Kel."

"Thanks." Kelly sighed. "Debbie, don't even bug on it. I bet once my parents find out, they'll ask for custody or something. Or Brad's parent's might."

Debbie nodded. "I wish Brad's would."

"I may have some pull there, Deb." I grinned. "Paul, what were you going to say?"

"Just going to suggest you take the kid, Suze." Paul said, grinning wickedly. "You and De Silva can play house."

I responded by flipping him off.

So Debbie would be sticking around for a while.

It was then I realized our mystery ghost was no where in sight. "Jesse, can you sense him?" I asked, pointing this out.

Jesse concentrated. "The only other being is in Bradley's room." he said.

"Let's go check it out." I said, trying to get up. For once, Jesse let me.

We all moved to Brad's room, and saw the murderer- his ski-mask tossed over a bed post.

I think all of us would have fainted- if ghosts could faint.

As it is, I'm the only one who did.

Although, I blame the flu.

The Junippero Mission Academy's shooter was...

_OK..IT'S A TO-BE-CONTINUED...TAKE A GUESS ON OUR MYSTERY MAN, AND IF YOU'D LIKE TO WIN A PRIZE, EMAIL ME!_


	2. And the murderer is

_Wow, only posted a day ago, and already I've gotten responses! You guys totally and completely ROCK OUT LOUD!!!!!!!!!!!_

_**Now, I'm warning you up front:** This **WILL** BE A BIT GORY. IF YOU CANNOT STAND BLOOD, DO NOT READ. IF YOU DO NOT LIKE VIOLENCE, WHY ARE YOU READING IN THE FIRST PLACE?_

**Mystery Murderer's POV: (No, you will not know who it is until the end. Don't skip ahead to read who it is either, you'll ruin it for yourself.)**

I sat in Brad's room, my mask over the edge of the bed post. I heard everyone walk- or, whatever we ghosts do- into the room, and soon after heard Suze faint. I suppose she was shocked by who I was, what I'd done.

I don't know why I chose to do..._that._ I knew it wasn't the way to solve things. Sometimes, Kelly and her group made me so mad, I just wanted to slap them.

I only meant for there to be three victims. Kelly Prescott, Debbie Mancuso, and myself.

In the cross fire, I got that albino girl, CeeCee Webb, and Adam McTavish, the classic class clown, and finally, Paul "I'm-hot-so-let's-give-me-everything" Slater.

Well, there are always flaws in the plan...

_...Flashback...Ish..._

"Do you see that outfit? What a freak." I heard behind me. I was the only one in that general area, so I figured they must be talking about me. I ignored the snotty high-pitched girls' voice and kept walking. They'll learn...then they'll be sorry...

That afternoon, I cleaned out my locker.I saw Suze Simon talking to her friends a little ways down the hall, and wished I could join them. Suze was pretty, smart, nice, funny- all the things I wanted in a friend.

Of course, I'd never had a real friend, so anyone- or thing, really- would work.

The next day, I stayed home from school to prepare. Kelly Prescott and Debbie Mancuso would be sorry. They'd learn to treat everyone a lot nicer.

On Wednesday, I walked to school, the only thing in my backpack a 9mm gun I'd found hidden in the back of my dad's closet. I kept up my usual smiles, acting like nothing was wrong.

I didn't see Suze, and her brother David told me she'd been home sick with the flu yesterday and today. I told him to tell her I said to feel better soon.

At that point, Suze could have talked me out of it.

Instead, I saw Debbie Mancuso and Kelly Prescott walking in my general direction. Suze's friends, Adam and CeeCee, were nearby, and so was Paul Slater. Those two could be aiming for any of them.

_Yeah, Sure. Like Queen Kelly would pass up an opportunity to diss you._

Well, screw Queen Kelly. Screw her in the ass with a sharp pineapple.

Suddenly, my mind wasn't my own anymore. I wasn't controlling my body. I reached into my bag, pulled out the gun, and haphazardly pulled the trigger.

Then continued until it was empty.

The first shot hit CeeCee directly in the heart. Blood splattered everywhere as she fell over, crimson pouring out on the floor. Blood sprayed the lockers as the bullet hit, as well as the walls and ceiling.

The second shot hit Paul right in the middle of his forehead. Blood, withpieces of his skull and brain,went in the opposite direction of CeeCee's, splattering the rest of the lockers, walls, and myself. I stood stock still, firing off the rest of the round.

I still stood, watching Adam fall over, a bullet lodged in his left temple. He'd turned to see what was going on right as I'd fired, and was blown back from the blast. Half of his skull lay in a puddle of blood, his eyes still staring up in surprise and shock.

Next- my designated victims', Kelly and Debbie. Kelly doubled over as the bullet entered her belly, I fired another at her, hitting her square in the head and killing her instantly. Debbie had barely moved during this whole time, and two quick shots hit her dead in the heart.

One bullet left.

I surveyed what I'd done. It had changed nothing, except that 5 (fairly) innocent people were dead. It didn't take back what Kelly and Debbie had done, it didn't reverse time, it didn't make my pain go away.

So, as I realized I'd acted without thinking everything through, I ate the last bullet.

And everything went black. I saw myparents, my friends, everyone...I saw the damage I'd done, I saw my body from above it as I floated there, my long red hair hanging in clumps drenched in blood, andthe deceased also floating above their corpses.

"Come on, you guys." Paul said. He'd yet to notice me. "Since we're all floating here, and shouldn't be, I know how to fix it."

And they disappeared in a swirl of lights.

_...End Flashback...Ish..._

I looked at Suze's passed out form on the floor of Brad's room. "I'm so sorry..." I whispered.

The remaining ghosts- and that Spanish guy- looked doubtful. The Spanish guy and Paul picked up Suze and carried her to her room. Kelly and Debbie just shook their heads at me.

My name is..._was_...Gina Augustin. I was a transfer studentat Junippero Mission Academy. I had personally kept this from Suze and her family, though I don't remember why. I wasn't smart and I wasn't pretty, which made me the target of bullying. If I could come back to life, or reverse time, I would.

And I wouldn't do what I did.

Then I saw bright white lights, and was in a hallway filled with doors.

One of the doors uttered a knock.

I did what seemed logical next; I opened the door.

**Suze's POV:**

"Querida? How are you feeling?"

Amazing how five little words can make me melt.

"Better. Did I pass out?" I asked Jesse, hoping it had all been a horrible dream.

"Yes, shortly after following that mystery ghost." Jesse said, patting my forehead with a damp cloth. "Kelly has moved on; Paul attended to her. Debbie has decided to stay until she knows her baby's fate."

I nodded.

"Jesse...that was no mystery girl." I said, remembering her face.

"What do you mean, Susannah?" Jesse asked, brushing away hair from my eyes.

"It was Gina."

And then I fell asleep, wondering how my best friend could have done such a thing when she was supposed to be in Brooklyn.


	3. Chapter 2 and a half

_Thanks to everyone who reviewed in general...I'd like to take this time to reply a little bit:_

_**My Divinest:** Can you please be more specific when you say "BULL" repeatedly? If it's about the portrayal of the shooting, and it sucks, then I'm sorry. Since I've never been in one, I can't really write it well._

_**Bewitched85:** Thanks for reviewing!!!_

_**Gator aka JJ!:** Teehee...Yeah, Yeah, I picked Gina...I'm so horrible... :big grin:_

_**UnangelicHalo:** Actually, I almost made it Father Dom...But then some people had guessed it might be him, so I changed it to someone no one had thought of._

_**Stella Blu:** I'm going to explain further in this chapter why Gina didn't talk to Suze, Suze's family, all that good stuff._

_**Chione:** Thanks for reviewing!!!_

_**Angel From Fairyland:** Thanks for reviewing!!!_

_**Qui tacet consentit:** Thanks for reviewing!!!_

_**Kay:** Thank you sooooooo much for your review. I didn't think it was negative at all. It's the kind of review I wish more people (me included) would leave when they review because it'll help when I go back and edit the chapter a bit._

_The next chapter will be up in a few days...This story will actually be short (5 or lower, actually) so I can finish everything else..._

_Love for now,_

_Kaitie_


	4. Chapter 3 Life With Gina

Tragedy Chapter 3

**Gina's POV:**

Life sucked when I came back from visiting Suze in Carmel. Everything was so cool there, and then I come back to New York, and life just sucks. My parents divorced, and to deal with the stress, I turned to drugs and alcohol. Not to mention boys in general.

After months of alcohol abuse, drugs (ranging from marijuana to cocaine to E to LSD), and virtually becoming a prostitute, I found out I was pregnant. There was no way of knowing who the baby's father was, since only a handful of guys wore a condom when we did it. That's a handful out of 100 or more.

The weird thing is, I wanted to keep the baby. So I stopped doing drugs, stopped drinking, and tried to get back on track.

Then one night I was walking home, and cut through my old "work" neighborhood. Derick, this white-boy-gangster-wannabe walked out in front of me, completely stoned off his ass, and goes, "Ginaaaaaah!"

Oh shit.

So, I keep walking.

Not the best choice, actually.

Derick followed me, his eyes glazing over, looking like frozen pools of ice. "Gina, why didn't you call me the other night? There was a good grand in it for you to appear at the party on 8th and Market."

"Yeah I know."

"So why didn't you show?"

"Because Mother's don't strip for a living, Derick!" I threw at him. His eyes got huge. Maybe he thought it was his kid or something, because he threw me to the ground and started to pound on me.

"Derick! STOP PLEASE, NO!!!" I screamed, begging him to stop, to not kill it or me. He just kept hitting, kicking, making me bleed all over.

Before he stopped, I passed out. Blackness consumed me until I woke up in a pure white hospital room.

"Ms. Augustin?"

I blinked. I looked over at the doorway to see a doctor, about 45 or so, holding a clipboard. I murmured something, and the doctor walked over to my bedside.

"Ms. Augustin, I'm Dr. Walker." he said, kindly. He had that salt-and-pepper hair and brown eyes. "That was a nasty beating you took."

"The...the...baby..." I tried to ask if the baby was OK. Dr. Walker continued. "I'm sorry, Ms. Augustin. We lost the baby."

And at that point, I wondered if it would have been a boy or girl. A pretty little girl who I could dress up in princess dresses, and raise in California where she'd never have to worry. A strong little boy who would play sports and know how to treat woman and never ever lay his hand on one in a harsh manner.

But it didn't matter now. God obviously didn't trust me to raise a kid; why else would s/he been taken away from me?

After I left the hospital, my mom kicked me out. She had met this total sleazeball of a guy, who didn't want a kid, so she didn't either. I hitch-hiked to Carmel, and planned to start over with Suze and her family.

Only somehow they didn't recognize me. No one knew who I was, despite the fact that I grew up with Suze. Brad slammed the door in my face when I showed up.

I didn't have an ounce of the old Gina left in me.

So I wouldn't be the old Gina. I'd be a random stranger, a new girl. Maybe Suze would realize it was me after all.

Only after a few weeks, she didn't.

And between Kelly and Debbie's insults, most of them reminding me of who I used to be- the odd girl who did what she wanted, when she wanted- and being ignored, I couldn't take it. I wanted everyone who made me miserable to die. I wanted to kill everyone I'd known in Brooklyn.

_I wanted a new life! I just wanted Suze back!_


	5. Author's Note

Hey everyone! First, this is JUST AN AUTHOR'S NOTE.

All my stories will be updated soon, I swear! As well as a few I'm planning on starting.

Just so everyone knows, I'm going to do all of the 1800 stories through Rob's POV.

Second...If you're a fan of Princess Diaries, PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT COMES UP NEXT!!!

I have in my posession...ONE AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF PRINCESS PRESENT!

YES, YOU READ RIGHT! PRINCESS PRESENT AUTOGRAPHED BY THE ONE, THE ONLY, MEG CABOT!

All you have to do to win this faboulous prize is answer the following question: (Question comes from "Mediator" books.)

Which book is the following line from?

"I may have been dead the last hundred and fifty years, Susannah, but that doesn't mean I don't know how people say good night. And generally, when people say good night, they keep their tongues to themselves."

Leave a review with your answer. I'll collect the user names on January 18, 2005. The winner will be notified via Email, so you need to have this visible on your bio page, on January 19, 2005.

Good luck!

Love,

Kaitie


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